Cervical traction device



April 15, 1958 H. B. SANDERS 2,830,581

CERVICAL mc'rxon DEVICE I Filed Dec. 5, 1955 ik i uli'iliw. V ,ii"

Fig. 2 INVENTOR- v HAROLD B. SANDERS 'nited States CERVICAL TRACTION DEVICE Harold Bailey Sanders, Alton, ill. Application December 5, 1955, Serial No. 551,067 4 Claims. Cl. 128-75 The present invention relates generally to traction devices and more particularly to a device for the convenient and practical application of cervical traction.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a traction device having therapeutic value in the treatment of injuries or deformations of the cervical portion of the spine and the alleviation ofsymptorns resultant from such injuries or deformations.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a traction device which may be readily used as suspension means for injured limbs which require elevation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traction device in which the traction load is conveniently adjustable in very small increments by the patient.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traction device which permits limited movements of the patient with no appreciable change of the load applied.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traction device which is easily assembled and/ or disassembled by an inexperienced user, and which is light in weight, thereby being readily movable.

t Another object of this invention is to provide a traction apparatus which may, in part, be used to apply longitudinal traction to injured members of a patient while the said patient is in a supine position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a traction device which is adapted for fabrication from many different materials, so that the choice of material can be according to the dictates of availability and price considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matters easily determined to suit particular conditions and needs. Another object of this invention is to provide a traction device which is practicable and inexpensive to manufacture.

inally, it is an object to provide a traction device of the aforementioned character which is simple, safe and .COIlVEIliCIlt to use and which will give generally eflicient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in View, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the. specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawr, 2,830,581 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 ice 2 identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawing.

In the treatment of such symptoms as headache, loss of finger grasping power, numbness of the hands, said symptoms resulting from herniated intervertebral discs, traction of the cervical portion of the spine is universally prescribed by physicians and other practitioners. The above mentioned symptoms and others similar thereto are caused by pressure on nerve roots between two vertebrae, when an intervertebral disc, being of resilient, fibrous cartilaginous material, is crushed or deformed, permitting the vertebrae to move toward each other with a consequent pinching of the nerves. The alleviation of such symptoms by use of traction results from the stretching of the spine. This stretching relieves the pressure on the nerve roots, and simultaneously, permits the reformation and healing of the injured disc to take place.

Many devices for the application of cervical traction have been proposed and used but in substantially all cases the said devices are cumbersome and difiiculty in adjustment of the applied load is encountered, or the device is too limited in use. As will be clearly shown hereinafter, my invention, although being designed primarily for the application of cervical traction, is not necessarily limited to that use and may be readily used for traction or elevation of injured limbs.

Referring now to the drawings, and specifically to Figure 1, my invention is shown as comprising a supporting standard assembly 10, and load differential assembly 12.

The standard assembly 10 comprises a vertically disposed standard l l of tubular form, said standard 14- engaging a collar like fitting 16 at the lower end thereof. Two legs 18, are attached in diametrically opposed relationship to the fitting 16 and are bent at 28 and 22 to extend, in horizontally spaced, parallel relationship, forwardly of the standard 14.

A collar 24 is secured to the upper end of the standard 14, this collar having a reduced end portion 26 receiving an extension rod 23 in axially sliding relationship therewith. A thumbscrew 30 extending through the reduced end portion 24 serves as a means of locking the rod 28 in any desired, extended position. The rod 23 is bent at an intermediate point 32 to extend horizontally forward, thereby forming a suspension rod 34, the function of which will become evident hereinafter.

The load differential assembly 12 comprises a bracket 36 having a loop portion 38 encircling the standard 14 and securable thereto by a bolt 40 and wingnut 42, said bolt 40 extending through the body 44 and the end 46 of the loop portion 38. The body 44 extends horizontally from the standard 14. A shaft 48 is journaled through the outwardly disposed end 50 of the bracket 36', the shaft 48 being horizontal, and normal to the bracket 36. A weight arm 52, having one end affixed to the shaft 43,

' is of sufficient length to extend transversely beyond the standard 14. A weight 54 placed on the free end 56 of the arm 52 produces rotary movement in the shaft 48, said rotary movement being transferred to a drum 58 located on the forwardly disposed end 60 of the shaft 48.

A differential pulley 62, having a small sheave 64- c0- axial with and closely adjacent to a large sheave 66, is pivotally mounted on a second shaft 6%. The shaft 68 is parallel to the shaft 48 and is aflixed to the loop portion 38 as to present the small sheave 64 in co-planar relationship with the drum 58.

A tape '70 is attached to and wound at least one turn, in a counter clockwise direction as viewed from the front, about the periphery of the drum 58 and extends tangentially therefrom to the small sheave 64, about which 3 the tape 70 is wound counter-clockwise. Another tape 72 is attached to and wound at least one turn in a clockwise direction about the large sheave 66 and extends tangentially upward therefrom.

It will now be evident that rotation of the arm 52 due to the application of a weight 54 is transferred from the drum 58 through the tape 76 to the differential pulley 62, thus inducing a downward pull in the tape 72. A connecting loop 74 afiixed to the free end of the tape 72 afiords means of attachment of a traction cord 76. The cord 76 extends upwardly from the loop 74 and is trained through two pulleys 78 slidably mounted on the suspension rod 34. The function and action of the pulleys will be made clearly evident hereinafter.

The end of the traction cord 76 depends from the outwardly positioned pulley 78, and is provided with a small ring 80 for the attachment of a head sling 82 thereto.

A new concept of therapeutic traction application becomes dramatically evident at this point. A relatively large vertical motion of the patient is permitted with no appreciable change in the applied load, since the relative radii of the differential pulley sheaves 64, 66 and the drum 58, are such that very little rotation of the drum 58 and, consequently a very small are described by the arm 52, is induced by vertical motion of the patient.

In the event the patient changes position sufficiently to materially alter the applied traction, an adjustment of the position of the weight 54 carried on the weight arm 52 is 'quickly and conveniently made by the patient himself, the arm being calibrated, and having notches 84 therein for retention of the weight 54 at any desired position thereon.

In addition, the instant invention may be convenient- 1y used in the office of the physician for determining the exact amount of traction load to be applied to the patient. Since the patient can easily sit facing in any direction while using the device, X-ray pictures may be conveniently taken to determine the traction load at which the required separation takes place, thereby protecting the patient from uncomfortable, and sometimes harmful overloading of the spine. The pulleys 78 are slidably mounted on the suspension rod 34 by means of hollow, cylindrical sleeves 86 encircling the rod 34. Each pulley 78 is attached longitudinally off-center of the sleeve, thus upsetting, or at least forcing the sleeve 86 away from axial alignment with the rod 34, when a load is applied to the pulley 78 by means of the traction cord 76.

It will now be evident that the instant invention may be used to apply traction to injured limbs, as well as to the spine. In the event of fractured limbs, a suitable halter (not shown) may be substituted for the head sling 32. The suspension rod 34 may be lowered to the required level, and horizontal traction applied.

Similarly, when elevation of an injured limb is required to prevent or at least alleviate swelling therein, still another type of sling (not shown) may be attached to the ring 80 and the injured limb suspended therein. The instant invention when used in this manner, imparts a pleasant, floating sensation to the injured member, and allows the patient sufiicient movement of the member to attain comfortable changes of position. When the device is employed for providing traction in a horizontal plane, as for example upon a bed fast patient, the standard assembly may be replaced by another frame, not shown, or the bed itself may be used to support the assembly 12.

It is noteworthy that the pulleys described above should be of the type known as frictionless since the friction in ordinary pulleys is too great for proper functioning of this device. However, the tape 70 can be of any suitable type or may even be replaced by a belt or cable.

The operation of this invention will be clearly comprehended from a consideration of the foregoing descrip tion of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connec- 4 tion with the drawing and the above recited objects. It will be obvious that all said objects are amply achieved by this invention.

Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

It is understood that minor variation from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A device for the application of cervical traction and like therapeutic treatments, comprising: a base; a vertically disposed standard supported by said base; load differential means operatively attached to said standard; vertically adjustable suspension means on said standard; pulleys operably mounted on said suspension means; a traction cord trained through said pulleys; one end of said cord engaging said load differential means, the other end of said cord having means for attachment to the member upon which traction is to be applied; said load differential means comprising a bracket vertically adjustably mounted on said standard; an arm having one end pivotally mounted on said bracket; said arm having a weight adjustably mounted on the other end thereof; means to transfer the load induced in said arm by said weight to said cord; said last mentioned means comprising a drum rotatively mounted on said bracket and connected to move with said arm; a differential pulley having two coaxial, connected sheaves; one of said sheaves hav ing a greatly increased diameter with respect to the other of said sheaves, the smaller of said sheaves being coplanar with said drum and horizontally spaced therefrom, the larger of said sheaves being in tangential alignment with said cord; means operatively interconnecting said drum and said differential pulley; and connecting means operatively inter-connecting said differential pulley and said cord.

2. A device for the application of cervical traction and like therapeutic treatments, comprising: a base; a vertically disposed standard supported by said base; load differential means operatively attached to said standard; vertically adjustable suspension means on said standard; pulleys operably mounted on said suspension means; a traction cord trained through said pulleys; one end of said cord engaging said load differential means, the other end of said cord having means for attachment to the member upon which traction is to be applied; said load diiferential means comprising a bracket vertically adjustably mounted on said standard; an arm having one end pivotally mounted on said bracket; said arm having a weight adjustably mounted on the other end thereof; means to transfer the load induced in said arm by said weight to said cord; said last mentioned means comprising a drum rotatively mounted on said bracket to move with said arm; a differential pulley mounted on said bracket and having two coaxial, connected sheaves; one of said sheaves having a greatly increased diameter with respect to the other of said sheaves, the smaller of said sheaves being coplanar with said drum and horizontally spaced therefrom, the larger of said sheaves being in tangential alignment with said cord; means operatively interconnecting said drum and said differential pulley; and connecting means operatively interconnecting said drum and said difierential pulley; and connecting means operatively interconnecting said differential pulley and said cord; said first connecting means comprising a flexible linear member having one end attached to said drum, the other end of said tape being attached to the smaller sheave of said differential pulley.

3. A device for the application of cervical traction and like therapeutic treatments, comprising: a base; a vertically disposed standard supported by said base; load differential means operatively attached to said standard; pulleys operably mounted on said suspension means; a traction cord trained through said pulleys; one end of said cord engaging said load differential means, the other end of said cord having means for attachment to the member upon which traction is to be applied, said suspension means including a substantially horizontal rod; pulleys having mounting sleeves attached thereto and encircling said rod; said sleeves having an integral vertical dimension slightly greater than the corresponding external dimension of the rod and being easily slidable along said rod when in axial alignment with the rod, said pulleys being attached longitudinally oil center of said sleeves, thereby forcing said sleeves away from axial alignment with said rod and securely locking said sleeves in adjusted position on the rod when a vertically downward load is applied to said pulleys through said cord.

4. In a device for the application of cervical traction and like therapeutic treatments, comprising: a support; an arm having one end portion pivotally mounted on said support; a weight adjustably mounted on the other end portion of said arm; a drum rotatively mounted on said bracket to move with said arm; a differential pulley mounted on said support and spaced from said drum, said difierential pulley having two connected coaxial sheaves of different diameters, the smaller of said sheaves being coplanar with said drum; means operatively connecting said drum and the smaller of said sheaves; and a flexible linear member having one end operatively connected to the larger of said sheaves, the other end thereof being connectible to a member upon which traction is to be applied.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 705,024 Bigsby July 22, 1962 1,296,128 Siebrandt Mar. 4, 1919 1,479,536 Ferragamo Jan. 1, 1924 2,282,653 Herzmark May 12, 1942 

